--- description: He performed "The Blacker the Berry" and "Alright" title: Watch Kendrick Lamar's Powerful Grammys Performance image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt731448e06d7657da/69887db20b72e362836e824d/kendrick-lamar-grammys.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Watch Kendrick Lamar's Powerful Grammys Performance  by [Nolan Feeney](/author/nolan-feeney/)  ## Nolan Feeney Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Feb 16, 2016 3:02 AM CUT  Kendrick Lamar performs onstage during the 58th GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on Feb. 15, 2016 in Los Angeles. Kendrick Lamar performs onstage during the 58th GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on Feb. 15, 2016 in Los Angeles.Kevork Djansezian—Getty Images  by [Nolan Feeney](/author/nolan-feeney/)  ## Nolan Feeney Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Feb 16, 2016 3:02 AM CUT Kendrick Lamar’s performance at the [Grammys](http://time.com/4224932/grammys-2016-winners-list-nominees/ "undefined") was on fire—literally. The rapper performed his song “Alright” in front of a giant pyre surrounded by dancers in what instantly became one of the evening’s most electrifying performances. Lamar’s set was full of references to the national conversation around police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement: the rapper took the stage with what appeared to be a bruise painted around his left eye, and he performed his song “The Black the Berry” with chains on his hands in a set designed to look like a prison. [**More:** See Celebrities on the Grammys Red Carpet](http://time.com/4219799/grammys-2016-red-carpet-photos/ "undefined") Both songs were from Lamar’s _To Pimp a Butterfly_, which won Best Rap Album earlier in the evening (along with four other awards) and was named [one of TIME’s best albums of 2015](http://time.com/4131352/top-10-albums/ "undefined") last year. “Alright,” in particular, has become a rallying cry and theme song [for Black Lives Matter protesters](http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2015/08/black%5Flives%5Fmatter%5Fprotesters%5Fchant%5Fkendrick%5Flamar%5Fs%5Falright%5Fwhat%5Fmakes.html "undefined"). ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4225069/2016-grammys-kendrick-lamar-alright-the-blacker-the-berry/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4225069/2016-grammys-kendrick-lamar-alright-the-blacker-the-berry/"},"headline":"Watch Kendrick Lamar's Powerful Grammys Performance","datePublished":"2016-02-16T03:02:40.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T15:05:36.813Z","description":"He performed \"The Blacker the Berry\" and \"Alright\"","url":"https://time.com/4225069/2016-grammys-kendrick-lamar-alright-the-blacker-the-berry/","keywords":["Music","Kendrick Lamar"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt731448e06d7657da/69887db20b72e362836e824d/kendrick-lamar-grammys.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Nolan Feeney","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/nolan-feeney/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt731448e06d7657da/69887db20b72e362836e824d/kendrick-lamar-grammys.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"The 58th GRAMMY Awards - Show","caption":"Kendrick Lamar performs onstage during the 58th GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on Feb. 15, 2016 in Los Angeles.","creditText":"Kevork Djansezian—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4225069/2016-grammys-kendrick-lamar-alright-the-blacker-the-berry/","name":"Watch Kendrick Lamar's Powerful Grammys Performance"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"How Kendrick Lamar Strives to Make Timeless Rap Albums","description":"“I want to continue to have something that’s not microwavable in a world today where our attention span is pretty much lost.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/Rqx0SLHt/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-12-09T19:28:43.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Rqx0SLHt.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4225069/2016-grammys-kendrick-lamar-alright-the-blacker-the-berry/","duration":"PT1M32S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4225069/2016-grammys-kendrick-lamar-alright-the-blacker-the-berry/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```